Just A Dream
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: After OotP, Lupin has to give the news of Sirius's death to the last person he'd ever thought of: Sirius's fiancee. Tissue Warning!


AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story came about for two reasons. One, being that a reviewer made the comment that I've been a bit fixated on the 'disabledHarry' fics. Two, I was listening to the Carrie Underwood song 'Just a Dream' and I wanted to make a story using the lyrics. At first I thought of using Harry and Ginny, but then I settled on using Sirius instead.

Story summary: After escaping dementors in 'PoA', Sirius fell in love. After 'OotP' Lupin has to deliver the news of Sirius's death.

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HARRY POTTER: Just A Dream

Number 12 Grimmauld Place wasn't safe but Remus Lupin didn't care as he opened the door and stepped inside.

Walking slowly upstairs to Sirius's room, Lupin couldn't believe that Sirius was gone… It didn't seem real…

In the old bedroom, Lupin sat on the bed, not sure what he was doing here. Maybe he just didn't want to believe that he was the last of the Marauders. There was a picture on the wall of Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Lupin when they were in school.

And as Lupin looked around the room, his eye fell on an open shoebox with a bunch of letters in it. Standing up, he picked up the box and in front of the open closet, Lupin noticed the set of clean dress robes and a slight bulge in the right pocket. Reaching into the pocket, Lupin found a ring box that held a beautiful gold wedding band. Taking the ring and letters down to the kitchen, he started to read what were very passionate and tender love letters to a 20-year-old American witch named Claire. Reading the letters, Lupin found out that he'd met Claire when he was down in Mexico after escaping from the dementors after Harry's 3rd year. They quickly fell madly in love and had continued to write after Sirius had returned to England.

Picking up the most recent letter, dated a few days before Sirius had died, Lupin read:

'_My dearest Sirius,_

_Mom and Dad consented! I told them that you had proposed and showed them the diamond ring you sent and they knew that they couldn't stop me. _

_I know things are hard for you right now and I wish I could come and help you but I've got college finals to study for._

_We'll be together soon, so don't give up._

_With all the love in my heart,_

_Your future wife, Claire'_

Lupin felt tears come to his eyes as he held the last words Sirius had received from the woman he loved. She probably didn't even know that Sirius was dead… Grabbing the ring and the box of letters, Lupin left the townhouse and headed to the muggle airport.

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_Clarkston, Virginia_

Claire Woods smiled as she looked over the beautiful white wedding dress hanging from her closet door. She'd passed her exams and couldn't believe that she was a few days away from being someone's wife. It was all so perfect…

On her dresser, she had the pair of Australian opal earrings she'd borrowed from her best friend, Martina, and the blue crystal necklace she'd found as a yard sale last weekend.

Turning her radio on she laughed as she pretended she was dancing with Sirius, smiling like it was the best day of her life.

As she spun around, the bedroom door opened and her mother said, "Claire? You… You need to come downstairs, honey. Now."

'_**It was two weeks after**_

_**the day she turned 18**_

_**All dressed in white**_

_**Going to the church that night**_

_**'She had his box of letters**_

_**In the passenger seat**_

_**Sixpence in her shoe**_

_**Something borrowed**_

_**Something blue'**_

Claire stopped and when she saw the look on her mother's face, her heart clenched. "Mom? What is it?"

"Come on, sweetie…" Her mother said, holding out a hand.

Claire followed her and headed down the stairs slowly, her heart was racing and a pit in her stomach seemed to open up when she saw a shabby looking man standing in the living room. He was holding a box of letters in one hand and in the other… "No…" Claire said when she saw the man holding Sirius' favorite cloak. He'd worn it all the time when they were out at night in Mexico. Once, when they'd fallen asleep together on the white sands, he'd laid it over her…

"Claire…" the man said, slowly. "I'm Remus Lupin. I… I need to talk to you."

"Sirius is just late, right?" Claire said, still standing on the last step of the staircase. Once she came off the stairs… "He's late but he's coming, right?"

"Sirius… isn't coming, sweetheart," her father said, sadly. "He…"

"There was… trouble… in the Ministry of Magic," Lupin said. "I'm so sorry… I… I wanted to tell you… face to face…" Claire felt the tears come to her eyes and she sat down on the stairs as Lupin handed her the cloak and an unopened letter. "Sirius… also had this," Lupin added, handing over the ring box with the gold band.

'_**I can't even breathe**_

_**It's like I'm looking from a distance**_

_**Standing in the background**_

_**Everybody's saying**_

"_**He's not coming home now"**_

"This can't be happening to me," Claire said as she cried, hugging Sirius's cloak to her chest, holding on to all she had left of him. "It's just a dream…" she added in a barely audible whisper. Standing up, she ran back to her room and closed the door, sinking to the floor, her back against the wood as she pulled the cloak around her and opened Sirius's last letter.

'_Claire,_

_The time I've spent with you saved me in ways you'll never know. The hurt I've carried for so many years is nothing compared to what I feel now, being away from you. But these are troubled times and I can't help but be afraid that we won't have the future together that we dreamt of.'_

Claire couldn't stop the tears that fell on the parchment, smudging the ink as she continued to read.

'_Whatever happens, know that I did love you, and that my last regrets are that I won't be able to marry you and that I've left my godson, Harry. I know the two of you would have gotten along fabulously. _

_I love you, Claire. And I always will._

_Sirius'_

Claire was sobbing now as she pulled the cloak tighter and opened the ring box, pulling out the thin gold band.

'_**Baby, why'd you leave me?**_

_**Why'd you have to go?**_

_**I was counting on forever**_

_**Now I'll never know'**_

This didn't seem real. She'd just found true love… an hour ago, she had her whole life ahead of her… Now…

'_**It's like I'm looking from a distance**_

_**Standing in the background**_

_**Everybody's saying**_

"_**He's not coming home now."**_

_**This can't be happening to me**_

_**This is just a dream'**_

It felt like a bullet in her heart as she sat on the floor, looking at the beautiful wedding dress she'd picked out with her mother once her parents had finally approved. Looking down at the wedding band, she saw that Sirius had engraved their initials on the inside with the word: Always.

Closing her eyes, she remembered sitting on the Mexican beach the last night they'd actually been together. He had to go protect his godson, Harry Potter. She understood that… But she remembered Sirius holding her hand and promising that that night wouldn't be the last time they ever saw each other.

Opening her eyes, she closed her hand around the ring, and held it, the letter, and the cloak to her heart as her tears fell.

'_**This is just a dream'**_


End file.
